


A Kindness

by etherealskies



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Archie is the best, Gen, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, JUSTICE FOR DONNA, Past Sexual Abuse, and Archie while we're at it, discussions of sexual abuse of minors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-16
Updated: 2020-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-01 00:15:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,085
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23166085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/etherealskies/pseuds/etherealskies
Summary: Donna meets one of Jughead's friends and learns that she has more in common with him than she could have imagined.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 15





	A Kindness

**Author's Note:**

> This came about because I'm still angry that the villain of this season turned out to be a sexual abuse victim who was supposedly lying about what happened to her, when abuse of power in sexual situations is a real problem that should be taken seriously. I tried my best to do justice to both Archie and Donna's situations, which I believe is what the show should have done.  
> I've also tried to tag things as best I could, so if you know any of the things in here will bother you, please take care of yourself and walk away, mental health should come first.  
> Finally, if you or even someone you know is in a similar situation, don't hesitate to reach out to someone you trust, or to take a look at the links here, which is just my own google search for resources, to find something that works for you: https://www.google.com/search?q=sexual+abuse+resources&rlz=1C1CHBF_enUS837US837&oq=sexual+abuse+resources&aqs=chrome..0j69i57j0l3.15805j0j7&sou rceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8 (Sorry for the stupidly long link, I don't have the patience to figure out how to make it shorter lol). Take care everyone <3

Donna had made a mistake.  
What she should have done was gotten on the train back to Stonewall with the rest of her classmates, but she had followed an impulse to check out Riverdale’s famous diner. It was nice enough, she supposed, and the milkshake she’d gotten was admittedly incredible, but right now it was packed with people coming from the big football game. Not ideal for exploring, and now Donna was stuck sitting uncomfortably on stool at the end of the counter next to a row of people waiting for takeout. She tried to repress an irritated sigh when the empty seat next to her was taken by a tall, red-haired boy. Apparently, she wasn’t as successful as she’d hoped, because he turned to look at her.  
“Sorry – am I crowding you?”  
Donna responded with the smile she knew strangers loved, the one that that looked like she was holding in a laugh or a secret. It hooked them, the way all her teachers said a good first sentence should. “Oh, no, I’m fine.”  
This boy was no different from all the other strangers. He continued looking at her, straightening up and tilting his head like a gentle, curious dog. “You don’t go to Riverdale High, do you?”  
“Nope.” She swirled the straw slowly around the milkshake to have something to do with her hands. “I came from Stonewall for the big game.”  
“Ah.” Now the boy smiled, a charming, self-deprecating expression. “So you saw your guys beat us just now.”  
Donna allowed herself a real, full smile. “I guess I did.”  
“I’m Archie Andrews,” the boy said, holding out a hand for her to shake. “Riverdale’s football captain.”  
“I’m Donna,” she replied.  
“Donna,” Archie repeated. “Don’t you take that writing class with Jughead? I think he’s mentioned your name before.”  
It took everything she had for Donna not to let her smile fall. Of course this would have to lead back to Jughead. He just wouldn’t leave her alone. “Yeah, that’s me.”  
Archie fidgeted, suddenly looking uncomfortable. “Can I ask you something?”  
Donna raised her eyebrows at his abrupt change in attitude. “Okay…” Her mind ran through the possibilities of what he might want to know, whatever gossip Betty had no doubt carried back to Riverdale.  
“Was it really you who reported that teacher for harassment?”  
Donna’s whole body tensed. That was the last thing she’d expected him to ask. “How do you know about that?” Her voice came out hoarse and choked and it infuriated her. Before Archie could answer, she pushed forward, her mind racing frantically ahead. “It was Betty, wasn’t it? I knew she would tell; she wouldn’t have the decency to keep that to herself – “  
“Whoa, wait, hold on – “Now Archie looked frantic too, looking at her like she was a cornered animal who was ready to rip his face off, which wasn’t too far off the mark. “I have no idea how people heard it was you, stories just get spread around pretty quickly here.” When he saw that Donna was listening, he continued. “I wouldn’t have asked, but I think I know how you feel, kind of.”  
Donna felt sick. Her hand had instinctively gripped her left wrist, where the marks were hidden under her sleeve. “What could you possibly know about what’s happened to me?” she spat.  
Archie’s eyes darted around nervously and he lowered his voice as he began to speak. “The summer before my sophomore year, I…messed around with my music teacher.” Warm brown eyes fixed on Donna, now frozen in her seat. “I thought I knew what I was doing, but when people found out they said she was taking advantage of me. I didn’t get it at first, I thought they were wrong, but I found out that she lied about everything, about what she wanted from me, what she thought of me, even who she was. Just so she could…”  
“I know,” Donna said as Archie’s torrent of words came to an uncertain stop. And she did know. How strange that in that crowded diner they were the only ones who understood each other.  
“So she could use me,” Archie finished quietly, looking away again.  
Donna’s hand left her wrist to twist at a lock of hair as she prepared to say her speech, the words she’d memorized and recited so no one could say that she was unsure, that she was being inconsistent. “I – when I tried to end things with him, he got angry, became aggressive.” And then, as Archie’s eyes met hers with a compassion she’d never seen before, she went off script. “Sometimes I think I should have tried harder, then maybe it wouldn’t have gone on for so long – "  
“No.” Archie’s voice was steady and firm now. “Whatever he did to you wasn’t your fault. It took me a while to understand that, but now I know that you can’t be blamed for someone else manipulating you.”  
Donna’s throat tightened and she swallowed hard. She was not going to cry in front of everyone in this stupid diner. “Does it – does it ever get better?”  
Archie nodded slowly. “Yeah, it does.” The sadness in his face started to fade as he smiled at her. “It might take a while, but you’ll find people you can trust and it’ll get better.”  
“Oh.” It was a sorry excuse for a response, no one had ever told her that before. It was almost too much, like light burning her eyes after being in the dark. She scrambled to stand up before she could get completely overwhelmed, avoiding Archie’s startled look. “I…I need to make sure I catch the train back.”  
“Yeah, of course.” Archie blinked at her as he tried to take in her sudden change of mood. “But, hey, if you ever need someone to talk to…”  
Donna stopped to look at him one more time, her heart beginning to race with the realization that she’d just talked to a complete stranger about what had happened to her. The warmth hadn’t left his eyes, though, and he was still watching her with that open, earnest expression. Donna still felt like crying for some reason, but she managed to smile at him. “Thanks.” She could only hope he understood everything she was thanking him for. She continued to watch him as she stepped back toward the door, trying to take as much of that kindness with her as she could. “I hope I see you again, Archie.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Constructive criticism is always welcome, and I hope you liked the story!


End file.
